Chapter 1635: Fleeing in Panic

Without Yun Che's "assistance," Yao Die and Qianye Ying'er were once again locked in a stalemate. The power of their conflict caused the barrier, maintained by the realm kings, to continuously shrink under the impact.

Everyone could imagine that the battle between the two Divine Masters had brought calamities upon the Huang Tian Realm far more dreadful than natural disasters.

Yao Die's target was Yun Che, and she would never have allowed anyone else to interfere. However, given Qianye Ying'er's strength, which far exceeded expectations, and the mysterious interference likely from Yun Che, she did not stop Yan Sanyuan. And once again, she witnessed a sight she could never have dreamed of.

Yun Che's previous two dodges of Yan Sanyuan's attacks were clearly a feint he set up for the lightning-fast sword strike that followed. This was also his usual tactic.

This was by no means a clever tactic; in the eyes of experienced powerhouses, it was laughable. Yet, Yun Che had never failed to execute it successfully. Even Yan Sanyuan, a powerful Level Seven Divine Master with tens of thousands of years of profound cultivation experience, fell directly for it.

It wasn't that his technique was exquisite, but that his profound energy aura was incredibly deceptive, surpassing the perception of any profound practitioner countless times over. No matter how strong an ant is, it is impossible for it to truly make a ten-thousand-foot fierce beast wary, let alone make it prepare its full strength.

What's more, this ant had been completely subdued and rendered motionless.

But on the other hand, even if Yan Sanyuan was completely unprepared and unwary, he was still a Level Seven Divine Master! At such a realm, the strength of his physical body and protective profound energy was beyond ordinary imagination.

Yet Yun Che... impaled him with a single sword strike!?

Boom! With a deafening roar, black mist and black clouds exploded simultaneously, as if the sky had split open with a terrifying crack. Qianye Ying'er's slender figure flickered, appearing at Yun Che's side. The Devil Queen Yao Die did not attack again. She looked at Yan Sanyuan and Yun Che, her eyes flickering with a rarely seen shock.

Yun Che's profound energy burst in that instant still had the aura of a Level Seven Divine Sovereign, but its ferocity was as if countless Level Seven Divine Sovereigns had erupted in power simultaneously, so powerful that it was almost comparable to Yan Sanyuan, a Level Seven Divine Master!

What was even more unbelievable was that... even if Yun Che could truly elevate his power to a level comparable to Yan Sanyuan, a caught-off-guard Yan Sanyuan should not have been so easily pierced by a single sword strike.

Yao Die's gaze fell on the wound on Yan Sanyuan's body. The crimson light emanating from it stung her eyes. The image of the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword appeared in her mind, refusing to dissipate.

The sight, which shattered all imagination, rendered the Huang Tian Palace terrifyingly silent. Everyone's eyes almost popped out, and they simply could not believe what they were seeing.

Yan Sanyuan himself seemed utterly stunned. One breath... two breaths... three breaths... He remained frozen there, staring blankly at the empty hole in his chest.

Finally, his lips trembled, and he uttered a single sound: "You..."

As the word escaped his lips, his entire body suddenly trembled slightly, and then he plummeted straight down, falling back into the barrier below. His feet sank deep into the ground, and he stood there, once again motionless.

"Ghost... Ghost King Senior?"

The closest realm kings cautiously stepped forward, then, as if by prior agreement, took out the best spirit medicines they carried. Although, as a Ghost King, he would almost certainly not value their spirit medicines, even gaining a tiny bit of favor would be infinitely beneficial later.

But they had only taken a few steps forward when they all suddenly froze.

Tian Muyi, Huo Tianxing, and others who were about to rush over also froze in place, their expressions struck with terror and disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost or a god.

Yan Sanyuan's profound energy and life aura were rapidly fading. This dissipation was not the weakness that comes from injuries, but rather... like a suddenly popped balloon, disintegrating at an alarming speed.

In just a few breaths, his aura had become incredibly faint, and then his half-kneeling body slumped softly like mud.

The moment his head hit the ground, his fully dilated pupils slowly retracted, and then there was no more movement.

Yan Sanyuan's life aura completely vanished. Even someone as powerful as Yao Die could no longer sense a single trace.

Silence, an utterly terrifying silence.

High above, Yao Die's pupils constricted.

As a Devil Queen, cultivating dark profound energy, she had long forgotten what "cold" meant. But at this moment, countless unprecedented chills surged wildly through her entire body, and every strand of her hair bristled and trembled.

Yan Sanyuan... was... dead...

As a Level Nine Divine Master, Yao Die could naturally defeat Yan Sanyuan, a Level Seven Divine Master. But killing him was extremely difficult.

In the late Divine Master realm, dying was truly an incredibly difficult thing.

In the Yama Realm, below the Yama Emperor were the Yama Devils, and below the Yama Devils were the Yama Ghosts. Yan Sanyuan was the Chief of the Yama Ghosts. Throughout the entire Yama Realm, in terms of both strength and status, he was a transcendent existence, second only to the Yama Emperor and the Yama Devils.

Therefore, even if Yao Die could have easily killed him, she would never have dared to do so.

She couldn't even believe that in the Northern Divine Region, someone could kill... and dared to kill a Ghost King of the Yama Realm!

What was even more incomprehensible was how he had died!?

Given the immense power of Divine Masters, their vitality and self-healing abilities far surpassed those of ordinary beings. Even severed limbs could regenerate perfectly. Being pierced by a sword was not considered a serious injury for a Divine Master; it was virtually impossible for it to be fatal.

Yet, under Yun Che's single sword strike, Yan Sanyuan simply died!

His ashen eyes and utterly extinguished aura all proved that this utterly impossible event was indeed true... right before their eyes.

The crimson mark of the wound on his body slowly faded at this moment. As it disappeared, wisps of jet-black mist slowly seeped out.

Everyone present had cultivated dark profound energy their entire lives, and many Divine Masters and Divine Sovereigns were among them. Yet, not a single one of them could perceive the profound energy aura of these black wisps. It was as if they were nothing more than ordinary black dust motes.

"This... this is..."

Tian Muyi's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, unable to retract or lower it. As the First Realm King, an Level Eight Divine Master, he understood perfectly the concept of a Level Seven Divine Master. The horror and disbelief in his heart far surpassed that of others.

The death of the Yama Ghost King was the most unbelievable event to occur in the Northern Divine Region since the sudden death of the Pure Sky Divine Emperor ten thousand years ago.

"Perfectly fine, but insisted on seeking death."

In the silent, frigid world, a cold voice rang out. It was the same voice and tone as before, but now, hearing it, it felt like icy needles piercing their bones, making their entire bodies run cold.

"The Northern Divine Region truly has many fools," Yun Che sneered. "Are they content to be forever locked in a cage like a pack of livestock?"

"..." The Devil Queen Yao Die slowly turned her gaze. She looked at Yun Che and said in a deep voice, "Do you know... who he was?"

As she spoke, she realized with alarm that her voice carried an uncontrollable tremor.

"Yan Sanyuan, chief of the thirty-six Ghost Kings of the Yama Realm," Qianye Ying'er said leisurely. "Very famous, but unfortunately not very bright. Living well, yet insisted on seeking death."

Yao Die's gaze remained fixed on Yun Che. After killing the Yama Ghost King, his eyes were still as serene as before, devoid of any excitement, triumph, arrogance, or lingering fear... Just like when he defeated Tian Guhu, he appeared as indifferent as if he had casually crushed an insect!

That was a Ghost King of the Yama Realm!

Or did he simply have no emotions?

"How... did he... die?" Yao Die gritted her teeth, each word strained.

Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er did not answer, but a hint of disdain flashed in their eyes, as if telling her: Are you blind? Of course, he was stabbed to death with a single sword.

The Yama Ghost King stabbed to death by one sword... Heh heh, what an absurd joke.

Yao Die asked no more questions. She took one last look at the Yama Ghost King's corpse and murmured, "No wonder..."

She turned, black butterflies swirling around her, and her figure abruptly vanished into the distance, disappearing into the dim sky in the blink of an eye.

"Not keeping her?" Qianye Ying'er said. "You said you'd make her regret it."

"No need," Yun Che said. "With her departure, we've gained another 'bargaining chip'."

Qianye Ying'er thought for a moment and understood Yun Che's meaning.

Yun Che raised his hand. In his palm, a small black vortex slowly swirled. The moment the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword pierced Yan Sanyuan's body, his Dark Eternal Calamity power violently surged into Yan Sanyuan's body along with the sword.

The dark profound art from the Devil Emperor raged wildly within Yan Sanyuan's body like an ancient demon god, destroying all dark existences within him.

His five fingers slowly closed, and Yun Che softly exhaled. The Dark Eternal Calamity could subdue all darkness, but it was limited to darkness. How wonderful it would be if it could also affect profound practitioners from other divine regions.

Yao Die left, almost in a panicked retreat. To inflict such immense shock and terror on a Devil Queen, perhaps only a monstrous anomaly like Yun Che could do it in this world.

The battle ceased, but the barrier protecting half of the Huang Tian Palace did not dissipate. Pairs of eyes watched Yun Che with trepidation. Their understanding of the world had been utterly shattered today.

"Who exactly are you?" Tian Muyi spoke, his hands tightly clenched, his entire body tense.

A person who dared to kill even the Yama Ghost King could no longer be described simply as "insane."

And to cause a Level Seven Divine Master's death with just one sword strike – for the first time in his life, Tian Muyi felt a chill of terror throughout his entire body.

"Let's go," Yun Che said, not looking at anyone, and turned to leave. He had come here intending to cause a stir specifically using the Heavenly Sovereign Grand Meeting. But the Devil Queen's arrival was an unexpected bonus.

When Yun Che spoke those two words again, everyone felt a great release, letting out successive sighs of relief. Tian Muyi's stiff body also relaxed, but he dared not utter another sound, fearing that any superfluous action might suddenly attract Yun Che's attention.

Previously, he would never have allowed the two to leave alive. Now, he only wished for them to leave immediately and never reappear. He didn't even dare to know their identities.

As for killing Yan Sanyuan, the Yama Realm would certainly launch an all-out hunt for him. Because that sword strike was not just plunged into Yan Sanyuan, but also into the face of the Yama Realm.

"Wait!"

The sudden voice made everyone's heart skip a beat, wishing they could instantly kill the speaker with a palm strike. But upon seeing who it was, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and endure.

The speaker was none other than Fen Jieran. He looked at Yun Che's back and asked, "Is your surname Yun?"

Yun Che offered no response to his question, quickly moving away, clearly ignoring his presence.

Fen Jieran secretly gritted his teeth, but dared not ask again.

At this moment, Yun Che suddenly stopped. Just when everyone thought he was about to speak to Fen Jieran, he slowly said, "Tian Guhu, this so-called Ghost King attacked me, and I granted him death. Yet you are still alive. Do you know why?"

Tian Guhu was heavily wounded, but he had witnessed every scene that just unfolded. Listening to Yun Che's words, he struggled to look up. As he gazed at the now somewhat distant figure, his heart was filled only with self-reproach and humility.

How utterly ridiculous... how truly laughable his previous actions had been.

"Senior... disdained to kill me," Tian Guhu said. Even in his weakness and despair, his voice still held a unique clarity.

He called Yun Che "Senior," but he could never have dreamed that Yun Che's age was less than a tenth of his own.

"Heh!" Yun Che chuckled faintly. "Many people in this Northern Divine Region cage want to escape because it's too difficult for them to survive here. Yet many others have never considered escaping, because they are powerful, hold high positions, and are the rulers of the Northern Divine Region. They never need to worry about 'survival'; instead, they enjoy things others wouldn't dare to dream of in ten lifetimes."

"Change? Escape? To them, these are simply jokes. Enjoying everything, why would they risk changing it? While they exist, the Northern Divine Region won't completely disappear. As for future generations... heh, what does that have to do with them?"

"!!" Tian Guhu sharply looked up, his originally dim eyes trembling wildly.

"Those most capable and who should resist have never considered resistance. It's rare to find an anomaly like you. What a pity..." Yun Che gave a cold smile. "What you've done is utterly childish and laughable! It's even more ridiculous than... my past self!"

He turned, his gaze falling upon Tian Guhu. "Benevolence? Morality? Heh heh heh... What are those? The only things that can change all this are ruthlessness forged in desperation, and blood enough to cover the entire Northern Region, understand?!"

Tian Guhu was struck as if by lightning, his entire body trembling violently. He looked into Yun Che's eyes, his pupils trembling more and more intensely... Suddenly, he struggled to get up, enduring the tearing of his wounds, and then heavily knelt down.

"Guhu, you?" Tian Muyi was stunned, and everyone else froze.

Facing Yun Che, his head heavily struck the ground. With this kowtow, he used all his strength but offered no protection to himself. His recently sealed wounds all burst open, blood spurted from his forehead. When he lifted his head, his face was covered not just in bloodstains, but also tear streaks: "Senior... please accept me as your disciple. Guhu... is willing to follow Senior, to be your servant... I beg Senior to grant my wish!"

Tian Guhu's words greatly startled Tian Muyi and the others. Tian Muyi abruptly rushed forward, seizing Tian Guhu by the shoulder: "Guhu, what nonsense are you spouting!"

He immediately turned to Yun Che and said, "Lingyun... Senior, my son is gravely injured and disoriented, speaking nonsense. Please do not take offense."

Regardless of Yun Che's unknown origins, strange, and ruthless personality, he had just killed the Yama Ghost King and would certainly be relentlessly pursued by the Yama Realm. How could he allow Tian Guhu to be associated with him in any way?

Tian Guhu usually never defied his father's words, but this time, his eyes were firmly fixed on Yun Che, and his voice was hoarse and resolute: "Father, I have never been so clear-headed in my entire life."

Tian Muyi froze.

He had never seen Tian Guhu's eyes look like this before. At this moment, a sad yet incredibly clear thought suddenly emerged in his heart... it seemed he had never truly understood his most proud son.

Guhu... was an isolated individual, who even excluded his own father.

"Become my disciple?" Yun Che turned his back. "You are far from qualified. But your life might be useful to me. And that day... won't be long."

His voice still echoed in their ears, but Yun Che's figure had already vanished into the distance, leaving only Tian Guhu staring blankly at the sky.